The full field of 16 men’s and women’s teams have been announced for the Meridian Canadian Open Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event, which will be at the Civic Centre from Jan 3 to 8.
Two Saskatchewan based teams will be competing in the men’s event, as Bruce Korte and Steve Laycock’s rinks from Saskatoon will be taking part.
Moose Jaw’s Pat Simmons will also be in the bonspiel as the third for Brendan Bottcher’s Edmonton, Alta. squad.
The men’s field is headlined by three of the top teams in the world this year as Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg, Man., Niklas Edin of Sweden, and Brad Gushue of St. John’s N.L. will be competing in the triple-knockout event.
The Carruthers rink, who won the Canada Cup of Curling earlier this month, features Regina product Braeden Moskowy at third.
Also in attendance will be defending Tim Hortons Brier and World Champion Kevin Koe of Calgary, Alta. and 2014 Olympic gold medalist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
Jacobs won the most recent Grand Slam of Curling Event, the Boost National, in his hometown last weekend.
Edin won the first two events of the season, the World Financial Group Masters in Okotoks, Alta. in October and the Tour Challenge in Cranbrook. B.C. in November.
Greg Balsdon, John Epping, Heath McCormick, Mike McEwen, John Morris, John Shuster, Kyle Smith and Charley Thomas round out the field.
Epping won the event last year in Yorkton over Gushue.
A total of 13 of the top 15 teams in the World Curling Tour’s order of merit standings will be at the Canadian Open.
Notable by their absences are David Murdoch of Scotland, Thomas Ulsrud of Norway and Peter de Cruz of Switzerland.
While there are no Saskatchewan based rinks in the 16-team women’s field, two curlers from the province will be in North Battleford for the week.
Michelle Englot, who lives in Regina, is skipping her Winnipeg based rink at the event.
Val Sweeting, who grew up in Maryfield, will also be in attendance with her Edmonton based foursome that won the Tour Challenge in November.
The other two Grand Slam of Curling event winners from this year will also be competing.
Alison Flaxey’s rink from Caledon, Ont. won the Masters in October, while Kerri Einarson’s East St. Paul, Man. based squad captured the National title last weekend.
Also in attendance will be defending Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Chelsea Carey of Calgary, 2014 Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg and Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Ont.
Homan defeated Jones in the final of last year’s Canadian Open.
Tracy Fleury, Jacqueline Harrison, Anna Hasselborg, Briane Meilleur, Kelsey Rocque, Casey Scheidegger, Anna Sidorova, Silvana Tirinzoni and Bingyu Wang round out the field.
A total of 12 of the top 15 teams in the World Curling Tour’s order of merit standings will be at the Canadian Open.
Notable by their absences are Eve Muirhead of Scotland, EunJung Kim of South Korea and defending World Champion Binia Feltscher of Switzerland.
